Organ donation by two brain-dead patients’ families helped to save six persons at Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre here.  The Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu allocated heart valves, two kidneys, pancreas, small bowel and stomach to the hospital. 

In a span of 24 hours in six operation theatres, as many as 30 doctors and 50 paramedical staff, transplanted the harvested organs.  

The brain-dead patients were a 33-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman. The donations occurred on January 16 and 17. SRMC doctors harvested four kidneys, two livers, pancreas, heart valves, small bowel, stomach and four corneas. TRANSTAN allocated heart valves, two kidneys, pancreas, small bowel and stomach were allocated to other hospitals. 

P. Sathish Kumar, 33, a resident of Alapakkam colony, Vallam, Chengalpattu, was admitted to the hospital on January 15 with complaints of headache, numbness of the upper limb and loss of consciousness, diagnosed as large acute intraparenchymal haemorrhage in the left ganglio capsular region. Despite aggressive treatment in ICU his condition did not improve, and doctors declared him brain dead on January 16. 

After his mother Mangayarkarsi, a single parent, and other family members donated all his viable organs, one of his kidneys was transplanted to a 43-year-old female, the liver was transplanted to a 61-year-old male and two corneas were transplanted to a 36-year-old female and 49-year-old male at SRMC.  

Another patient R. Gunasundari, 52, from Kancheepuram district was admitted at SRMC in an unresponsive state. She was diagnosed with diffuse hypoxic ischemic injury, cerebral edema and cerebellar tonsillar herniation. Her condition did not improve despite intensive treatment and she was declared brain-dead on January 17 by a panel of doctors.  

Her husband M. Rajasekar and two children came forward to donate her viable organs.  

One of her kidneys was transplanted to a 36-year-old male and the liver was transplanted to a 48-year-old male. One cornea is scheduled to be used for a 50-year-old female at SRMC in the next few days. 

All patients who received the organs have recovered well, said K. Natarajan, professor, Department of Urology and Renal Transplantation.